5 ultimate tips for vocal health

Stay hydrated – keep your vocal chords hydrated at all times for a clear and healthy tone. Keep caffeine and alcohol consumption to a minimum or cut it out completely. As per current IOM recommendations, men aged 19 and older should drink 3.7 liters and women 2.7 liters daily. This includes anything you eat or drink containing water. Of this total, men should drink approximately 13 cups and women 9 cups a day.

Avoid noisy environments where you are forced to scream or speak too loud. Screaming or speaking with too much force strains your voice and can lead to swelling of your true vocal cords. If your true vocal cords are swollen you may temporarily loose your upper range, have a raspy sound in your voice and will struggle to sing in your thin vocal cords.

Avoid dry air like heavily air-conditioned rooms or keep it to a minimum whenever possible. Dry air dehydrated your vocal cords.

Avoid environments where people smoke. Both active and passive smoking can cause damages that are irreversible to your vocal cords and lungs.

Physical fitness combined with a sensible diet is important to stay healthy overall.